Clamp type bottle stopper



June lZ, 1951 A. A. RHEUDE cum? TYPE 30mm STOPPER Filed July 5, 1950 INVENTOR. Andrew A. Rheuae Patented June 12, 1951 UNITED STATES Z ATEZNE @FFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in bottle stoppers.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a plug which may be inserted in the top of a bottle to form a stopper, which plug is expansible so as to tightly fit the interior of the neck of the bottle and to then provide means for clamping the outside of the neck of the bottle so as to further lock the device to the neck of the bottle.

A further object is to produce a device of this character which is easy to manufacture, easy to use and one which may be easily cleaned.

A further object of this invention is to produce a device whereby any upward movement of the plug out of the neck of the bottle will tend to lock the clamping members more firmly about the neck of the bottle.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a side view of my bottle stopper;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation taken at right angles to Fig. 1 and showing my stopper positioned within a bottle neck, portions thereof being shown in cross section;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the stopper partly withdrawn from the neck of the bottle; and

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 1.

There are many types of expansible bottle stoppers wherein the plug element consists of a member which may be elongated so as to insert it within the bottle and thereafter, upon release, the plug expands so as to close the bottle.

However, these expansible types of plugs are subject to being blown out when pressure develops within the bottle, and particularly when the plug is placed within the neck of the bottle when it is wet or coated with a slippery syrup.

Applicant has therefore devised a bottle stopper wherein the plug element is held within the neck of the bottle through the use of a clamp.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates the neck of a bottle into which I insert an expansible plug 6. This plug has a plate I attached to its upper extremity and has a plunger 8 which extends downwardly through the plate 7 and into the bottom portion of the plug, the upper end of the plunger being secured to the thumbpiece 9 of a U-shaped frame II,

The plate 1 has ears l2 and I3 which are adapted to be engaged by the fingers of the user.

Attached to the plate I are a pair of downwardly extending spring clamping members [4 and It, each carrying a substantially semicircular clamp as shown at ['5 and I8 respectively.

The ends of these clamping members are bent upon themselves so as to engage the inclined slots [9 formed in the legs of the U-shaped member II.

The result of this construction is that when the user engages the ears with the fingers and the thumbpiece 9 with the thumb and compresses the same, the plunger 8 will cause the elongation oi the plug 6 as shown in Fig. 3. At the same time, the clamping members I! and I8 will be moved from the position of Fig. 2 to that of Fig. 3 through the fact that the ends of the clamping members riding in their slots l8 will force the clamping members away from each other, and at this time the plug 6 may be inserted within the bottle until the top of the bottle comes into engagement with the top of the plug as shown in Fig. 2.

Then, by releasing pressure upon the thumbpiece and the ears, the spring 8, plus the natural tendency of the plug 5 to contract, will cause the clamping members to be moved to the bottom of the slots [9 and into clamping position against the neck of the bottle as shown in Fig. 2, thus locking the stopper to the bottle, and any upward pressure on the plug will force the clamping members into tighter engagement with the sides of the bottle, thus preventing any possibility of the stopper being disengaged from the bottle.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A bottle stopper, comprising an expansible plug, a plate secured to said plug and having finger engaging ears, a plunger extending into said plug and having a thumbpiece whereby said fingers and said thumbpiece may be moved toward each other to cause elongation of said plug, an inverted U-shaped member secured to said plunger and having a sliding engagement with said plate, a pair of clamping members secured to said plate and engaging cam slots in the lower ends of said U-shaped member for causing expansion and contraction of said clamping members when said plate is moved relative to said thumbpiece.

2. A bottle stopper comprising an expansible plug, means for elongating said plug, said means including a plate secured to the top of said plug and a plunger extending into said plug, an inverted U-shaped member connected to said plunger, 2. pair of clamping members resiliently REFERENCES CITED connected to said plate on opposite sides thereof, The following references are of record in the the ends 2f said ciampggg 1member?3 engatgirfi file of this patent:

clined 510 s forme in e ower ex remi y o e arms of said U-shaped member. 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date ANDREW RHEUDE- 1,268,936 Culver June 11, 1913 2,446,661 Murdock Aug. 10, 1948 2,507,680 Rheude May. 16, 1950 

